Removing The Bunders

摘要

Here are the facts: Our solar system is a cluttered shooting gallery of objects that threaten our lives and the existence of life on Earth. We know that objects have struck the Earth in the past, causing huge devastation and mass extinction. Today, we don't have the capability to know with certainty where and when the next impactor will strike. Yet virtually zero space or defense dollars are going toward creating such a capability. It is time to move the topic of Earth-colliding asteroids and comets from discussions in the academic halls of astronomy and astrophysics and onto the agenda of national security policymaking.